obama put this proposal out there so that republicans would have a chance to negotiate with him. he started with this outrageous proposal and look at what we have been able to negotiate. $1.6 trillion in tax increases down to under a trillion dollars. something like that. but there is other thinking that the president simply is not serious -- but he that he wants to go over the cliff and force in 2013, early 2013, put forward after tax rates go up on everyone -- turn around and proposed tax propose tax cuts for those making $250,000 or less p year. and voting against tax cuts for the middle-class. it depends on where you said as to how you see these negotiations playing out right now. megyn: but the white house has maintained in private even to progressive groups, but it does not want to go out thecal cliff. if you believe that? >> it's hard to imagine that the president would want to send the economy into another recession. that would be a terrible start to his second term and it would cripple the rest of the spectrum. everything else that he would want to do. it would seem a bi